MANILA, Philippines — In a theme park surrounded by Mickey Mouse, Disney Princesses, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar, it is the fictional gang of Duffy and Friends that reign supreme in Hong Kong Disneyland.
For those unfamiliar with the character, Duffy is Mickey's teddy bear given an entire backstory by Walt Disney Imagineering.
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Initially just known as "The Disney Bear," Duffy got his own story in line with the American Waterfront section of Tokyo DisneySea.
Minnie Mouse supposedly made the hand-sown bear to keep Mickey company during his sea voyages. Mickey gave the bear the name Duffy because Minnie presented it to him in a duffel bag.
Duffy grew in popularity and went from being an Aunt Peg's Village Store exclusive to an in-demand character in Disney's attractions in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Hawaii.
Walt Disney Imagineering went on to create a collection of characters to accompany Duffy: his best friend and fellow bear ShellieMay, artistic cat Gelatoni, dancing rabbit StellaLou, inventive dog CookieAnn, musical turtle 'Olu Mel and curious pink fox LinaBell.
Fans can interact with Duffy and the gang in Hong Kong Disneyland's Duffy and Friends Play House, starting out in a storybook house with interactives activities before lining up into a miniature maze to meet the character of their choice.
Now that you know who Duffy is, the only question that remains is: Who's your bias? Is it Duffy, ShellieMay, Gelatoni, Stellalou, CookieAnn, 'Olu Mel, or LinaBell?
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Editor's note: The trip to Duffy and Friends Play House was hosted by Disneyland and Klook. At no stage do the host organizations have a say on the stories generated from the coverage, interviews conducted, publication date, and story treatment. Content is produced solely by Philstar.com following editorial guidelines.
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